The Swan
by isabellamasens
Summary: Isabella Swan is an accomplished dancer, who always dreamed of dancing professionally with the Seattle Ballet Company. So, why is she so miserable?
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Twilight Saga, or any character's created by Stephenie Meyer. This work of fiction, set in the Twilight universe, is purely for fun.**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic is a little different. I'm writing most of it on my phone, when I have inspiration, and it is purely because I have a plot bunny that I'd like to tackle. Likely, this story will have very short chapters, and be used just to drive through a plot I want to play with.**

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 **SEATTLE BALLET COMPANY**

"1, 2, 3! 1, 2, 3!" I was good at following commands, and practice was no different. It was how I was trained. Ever since I was a little girl, I've been studying the art of ballet. From age three, dancing as one of the mice in The Nutcracker, to age nineteen, when I landed the role of Odette in Swan Lake.

And now, I was here. I'd dreamed of a place in the Seattle Ballet Company, and I'd finally gotten it. After seventeen years, all my hard work had paid off. So, why was I so miserable?

Oh, right… Because I would never dance again.

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you enjoy this pic. This is just the prologue, the chapters will be around 800-1,000 words. Review and tell me your thoughts!**


	2. Chapter One

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Twilight Saga, or any character's created by Stephenie Meyer. This work of fiction, set in the Twilight universe, is purely for fun.**

 **SEATTLE BALLET COMPANY**

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"Miss Bella!" The sound of happy, eager to learn children always warmed my heart. My students were all five and six years old, and so ready to learn their dances. It was the most rewarding thing I had experienced since the accident.

"Hello, my little ballerinas." I held tightly to the barre and smiled as my students rushed over to grab hold and take their places.

We warmed up and then made our way into the routine they had been learning. I was so proud of them. Not a one of them were in time with each other, but it was precious. They were having fun. I could barely remember a time when I could dance just to have fun dancing. I wanted to nurture that in my students for as long as I could.

"Alright, kiddos, good job today! Why don't you spend the last few minutes making up your own dances while I talk to your Mommies and Daddies about the upcoming recital?"

Breaking away from the children and turning on an upbeat, pop CD, I went out into the waiting room, to talk to the parents who still hadn't signed permission forms.

"Mr. Cullen," I started, walking up to little Katie's big brother, trying to smile through the pain that had started halfway through practice.

"Madame Swan. I'm sorry… I know, I haven't gotten Kate's permission slip. Pinky promise, I'll have it next practice." I nodded, not having to say anything.

Edward had been alone since shortly after his little sister, Kate, was born, and it was only getting harder on him, now that his ex-fiancée had left. His mother had passed in child birth, and his father couldn't bear to look at either of the children. I'd been patient the last few months, but I knew how much Katie wanted to dance her solo.

We exchanged pleasantries and then the doors to the studio burst open and the children flowed out, running to their parents with arms outstretched.

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Like I said, short and sweet chapters. Just a fun little story for when the Sparks Fly writer's block gets annoying. Although, I definitely said these chapters would be between 800 and 1,000 words, and the lie detector determined that to be a lie. But whatevs. Enjoy!**


	3. Chapter Two

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Twilight Saga, or any character's created by Stephenie Meyer. This work of fiction, set in the Twilight universe, is purely for fun.**

 **SEATTLE BALLET COMPANY**

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I've been in the studio for nearly three hours, trying to perfect a simple turn I used to be able to do flawlessly. Effortlessly. It's been years since the accident, but every time I turn, I can hear my ankle pop. Every time I hear it, I flash back to when it broke.

Jake and I had been practicing for Swan Lake, which was opening the following night, when we got out of sync, threw off our balance, and I fell. I'd landed on my ankle, and torn two ligaments on the outside of my left ankle.

A knock on the door caused me to turn around, and I smiled when I saw Mr. Cullen standing in the doorway.

"I've got Katie's permission slip. Signed, sealed, delivered." I smiled, and turned off the music that had been playing.

God, Edward Cullen was so attractive. It made him even more attractive knowing that he took care of his baby sister. That he was so attentive, rising to the challenge now that their parents were gone.

"Oh, I'm so happy! She'll love to hear the recital is a go. Be sure to make sure she practices extra hard. I've had my eye on her. I'd really love to move her up, get her with some of the more advanced girls. She's got so much potential."

"It's all she can talk about the last few days. Trust me, she's been practicing until she drops. She'll be happy to hear that she's doing so well. Thank you for encouraging her so much, Miss Swan." He smiles and I can feel myself melting into a puddle of goo. He turns to leave and I grab the remote for the radio, so I can start practicing again, but when he speaks up again, I stop.

"Would it be completely out of line to ask if you'd want to go out to dinner with me? Tomorrow night?"

"You know, it wouldn't be out of line at all. I'd like that."

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, guys! I'm donating a Sparks Fly outtake to the Babies at the Border compilation! Check out BatB_2018 on Twitter for more information about the compilation. I will not be posting the outtake until CHRISTMAS, to give ample time for those who donate to read and enjoy.**


	4. Chapter Three

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Twilight Saga, or any character's created by Stephenie Meyer. This work of fiction, set in the Twilight universe, is purely for fun.**

 **ALTURA**

I was shaking. I hadn't been on a date since James broke up with me. That had stung. I thought we were going to last, so when he dumped me, out of the blue, I'd been surprised. I'd been even more surprised when I found out he'd been cheating on me the entire year we'd been together, and I was none the wiser.

What was I even supposed to do on a first date? I knew Edward, of course, but that didn't make it any less nerve-wracking. In fact, it made it worse. I knew he was gorgeous, I knew I adored his green eyes, and I knew he was the best older brother any little girl could ask for, judging by his relationship with Katie.

And yet, I also knew that dating was terrifying, and that I wasn't ready to be hurt again. So, what was a girl to do? I'd curled my hair, put on a dress, and even strapped into a pair of heels that I knew would eventually send me tumbling to the ground. I was only graceful while dancing. And here I sat, in one of the nicest restaurants in Seattle, waiting for Edward.

I didn't have to wait long. He came into the restaurant with a smile on his face, which only seemed to get wider when he saw me. I rose from my seat as he neared and hugged him in greeting, my breath catching in my throat.

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE** : Hope you liked the latest chapter! Sorry about the cliffie, but I've already got the next chapter written, and it'll be up tomorrow! I wanted to keep these short, so I broke the chapter up into several.


	5. Chapter Four

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Twilight Saga, or any character's created by Stephenie Meyer. This work of fiction, set in the Twilight universe, is purely for fun.**

 **ALTURA**

"Wow, Bella… You look wonderful." I blushed, feeling the color creep up my neck.

"You don't look so bad yourself." I said, eyes raking over his body. I sat back down, leaning back against the seat of the booth.

"Sorry I'm late. Katie insisted on me tucking her in and reading no less than three stories." The smile on his face when he spoke about his little sister was adorable. It was easy to see how much he adored her.

"That's precious. You're so good with her, Edward. I can't imagine…" My voice trailed off and I lowered my eyes to the table.

"Just doing what I have to do." He says, shrugging off the praise.

"Well, you're doing a great job. Not that I've ever seen you outside of the studio before, but the way you are with her there, and the way she gushes about you. It's easy to tell." It's his turn to blush, and I can't help but adore the color his cheeks turn.

"Thank you, Bella. Though, you should hear how she talks about you, especially right after class. She's enamored." He says, corners of his lips turning upward.

"Then again, I can easily why she is. Thank you for agreeing to come to dinner with me. I wasn't sure if it would be inappropriate to ask Katie's dance teacher out, but my other younger sister finally convinced me that I had to take the chance."

"You have other siblings?" I ask, head tilting to the side a little.

"I do. Alice, who's around your age, and Emmett, who's the oldest." I nod. It's funny that I'd never heard Katie talk about them, but then again, I only saw her twice a week, and often times, it was dance we were all focused on.

"How did you end up with Katie, if Emmett is the oldest? I hope you don't mind my asking."

"No, I don't mind. Alice was seventeen when our parents passed, and Emmett had just gotten engaged. I was just out of college, and the most stable. Alice lived with me until she went off to college, too."

"You sound like a wonderful big brother."

"I try. But, enough about me. I want to hear about you. What makes Bella Swan tick? How'd you get into teaching dance?"

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE** : And, another cliffie! Not so dramatic, but then again, this isn't going to be a very dramatic story. And, I won't leave you waiting too long. I am super inspired for this fic right now, and since it's shorter, it's flowing pretty well! Don't forget to review! I love hearing what you're all thinking of the story!


	6. Chapter Five

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Twilight Saga, or any character's created by Stephenie Meyer. This work of fiction, set in the Twilight universe, is purely for fun.**

 **ALTURA**

Teaching. I really did love it. That wasn't a lie. It just wasn't what I had seen myself doing when I was little. Maybe on down the road, but not so early.

"I didn't want to teach, actually. I was kind of talked into it. My roommate, Angela, said I needed to get back in the studio." I reached for my glass of water, still waiting on the champagne I'd ordered when I arrived, and took a sip.

"What did you want to do?" I take another sip and then set the glass down, sighing.

"I was a dancer. I was good, too. I danced for SBC, just like Katie. Honestly, I see so much of myself in her. I think that's why I single her out so much for recitals and solos. Anyway, a little under two years ago, I was rehearsing for Swan Lake with my best friend, Jake, when we got out of sync. He stepped wrong, I started to come out of a move too early, and we both went down. It wasn't the kind of life-shattering injury that some athletes suffer, I was never told I wouldn't walk again, but I was told I'd never dance again. At least, not at that level." I was rambling. I paused, taking another drink, and giving him a small smile.

"Oh, wow. Bella, I'm so sorry. I bet you were incredible."

"I was. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but, I was. I was given an opportunity that I had dreamt of since I was little, and just a few days before the show was set to open, I watched it all crumble around me. That hurt more than the injury. It was that _almost_ that hurt."

"And your roommate got you into teaching? She must really believe in you. I can see why." He says, taking a sip of his own water, setting it down just as the waiter brings our champagne, two flutes set down in front of us both.

"She encouraged me to accept the offer to teach dance classes. My former dance teacher had been asking me for a few months. Madame Cope, she trained me. She's who I'd like to get Katie some practice with, actually. I think I mentioned that when the recital was announced."

"You did. I didn't know she trained you. Katie really wants to, but she's also pretty attached to you." I blushed. I was happy she liked me so much. I adored her.

We made small talk, talking about everything from the weather, to our favorite sports teams, to our families, ordering between conversations, and getting to know each other better. I found out we both loved the Mariners, mushroom ravioli, and had always wanted to go sky-diving, but was too nervous to ever actually find somewhere that did it.

After taking up a table for almost two hours, we finally got the check, and even with my offers, he insisted on picking up the check. He walked me to my car, and I pulled out my keys, though I didn't unlock the door just yet.

"I had a great time, Edward." I said, voice soft.

"I did, too. Maybe we can do this again, sometime soon?" _Of course_.

"Well, I'll see you and Katie at dance tomorrow. Would you like to get ice cream afterward?" He accepted, and reluctantly, we parted ways, each getting into our cars, and driving away. But, oh my, I couldn't wait to see him again.

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE** : I can't stop writing this story! It's going quick, which is what I wanted when I started it, and I can't wait to get to all the good stuff! I also told myself I wouldn't start anything else until I got this done, and since I've got a plot bunny nudging away at my brain, I think this is my way of getting closer to both those goals.

I hope you enjoyed Bella's backstory! I cried writing it, but maybe I'm just too attached to this version of her.


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